


The Nod Was The First Step

by Jeane



Category: The Smiths
Genre: First Dates, Fluff, M/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-19
Updated: 2017-12-19
Packaged: 2019-02-16 14:59:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13056354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jeane/pseuds/Jeane
Summary: Johnny and Angie broke up recently, so Morrissey is quite surprised when Johnny asks him to go out. But he was waiting for this moment for a long time and decides there's no reason to wait any longer.





	The Nod Was The First Step

**Author's Note:**

> I once read that Moz had never been to a formal date, so I thought I could change that. Also, I can only imagine him being super clumsy about it, but anyways... It's set in early 84.

The restaurant was adorned with all kinds of flowers. There were white roses embroidered on the tablecloth, lilies hanging from the ceiling on decorated baskets here and there and, of course, the mandatory red roses on a huge vase at each table. Morrissey and Johnny tried to smile at each other through the rosebuds. They had just arrived and it already felt like the waiters didn't care. 

Johnny fumbled with the menu. He knew it was the desserts page thanks to the pudim picture right at the top, but he focused on the prices instead of the names and was already feeling full. Moz counted the petals on the table to see if they matched the ones from the vase. Not having a subject to talk about was a bit unusual, but for once on his life he couldn't think of anything to say. At least Johnny wasn't looking at him now, so he could take his time and admire him a little.

Johnny had makeup on his eyes and silver nail polish. His rings where all there except for one on his fourth finger and he wore his tight black jeans with a jeans jacket and a scarf covering his red shirt. He always looked cool, and so Moz couldn't tell if it he had worried too much. Suddenly he felt a bit out of place on the fancy restaurant. Even if Johnny wasn't exactly formal, he looked good and he had that stylish manner that made him get away with almost everything.

Moz realized he spent quite sometime deciding if it was too clumsy of him to spend too much time searching for clothes. Then he did. And ended up with the same old jeans and an oversized coat over his pink dotted shirt. At least he matched the flowers. Well, some of them.

"That's a bit weird, right?" Johnny snickered.

"Yes, I suppose so," Moz let himself laugh a bit. "It's a while since I've last dated, I don't know..."

Johnny lifted his eyes from the menu and smiled.

"I was actually talking 'bout the prices. There's a whole cake cheaper than a piece of pudim here."

"Oh... That's weird, why would they do that?" Moz oppened his menu and avoided eye contact. "At least the font is pretty..."

Johnny looked at him, still smiling. Moz had been so sweet lately, and they always hang out together. Asking him out was surprisingly easy, and he just assumed the date wouldn't be so different. Except they'd be in a restaurant. The kind that you have to make reservations. And had roses floating all around. In baskets. 

Moz peered at him from behind the menu and looked away again. Johnny became conscious of his own staring, but unable to change it.

"It's a pretty place, right?" Johnny said, forcing himself to look around.

"Yeah..." Moz looked too. "Lots of lilies too..."

"Lilies?"

"On the baskets," Moz said.

"Oh..." Johnny squinted. "I thought they were roses." 

Moz smiled. Johnny smiled back, or tried to. The vase was very pretty, but seemed to get in their way. Johnny considered moving it and changed his mind. He looked at the menu again. 

"It's strange I had never seen this place before."

"Yeah, me neither. Angie told me about it, she thought it was nice," Johnny said, and regretted it. Should he be talking about Angie? But Moz and her were friends. He knew things had ended well. And now Johnny and her were friends too. Well, she always had been a sort of friend. 

"It is nice. She has a really good taste I think." Moz looked at Johnny across the leaves and smiled, but Johnny wasn't looking. He seemed a little distracted. Moz closed the menu. "How are you?" 

Johnny looked at the roses. Why there had to be so many roses? 

"I'm sorry, I probably shouldn't be asking, should I?"

"It's alright. Really," he said. "I'm sorry if this is a bit weird, I just... I know it's recent but, I didn't want to wait anymore."

"Well, I'm glad you didn't."

Their eyes somehow met in between the flowers. 

"Are you ready to order?" The waitress said, interupting them.

"Oh, I..." Johnny looked down and realized he hadn't even read the entries. Moz saw his struggle.

"I think," he began, looking down too. But he also hadn't pick anything. She looked from one to the other, and as neither seemed to want to say anything else, she did.

"Well, just call me when you're ready."

"Ok," Johnny began, but she had left already. "Thanks," he murmured. Moz giggled.

"And we wanted to be famous..."

"What are you talking about? We're great at being famous."

"Of course."

"And the way we deal with the press? Flawless," he laughed. Moz tilted his head half laughing, half agreeing. Johnny thought he looked endearing. He turned to the begining of the menu. "Let's see..."

Moz did the same and widened his eyes.

"Jesus, look at these prices," Johnny said. 

"Are we famous enough for this yet?"

"I don't think so babe, look at page 3, I can't even pronounce that..."

"Now I see why you never came here."

"Yeah... Where did she even learned about this place?" Johnny said, searching for something at least a little affordable.

"You know what, we should just order whatever is cheaper and complain a little."

"Seems about right. I don't think it has much difference though. Look at the ingredients, it's almost all the same... Oh. They don't have manny vegetarian options," he looked up. 

"Of course, the cheapest things are all meaty. Oh, what can we do now Johnny?" Moz said.

"I'm a bit confused. Angie said they had lots of veggie stuff here..."

"They have a whole session. Probably so it's harder to compare the prices. It's all up there."

"How do you survive?"

"That's a good question. I'll answer as soon as I find out," Moz said. 

"Oh, is that what you tell the journalists?"

"I should, shouldn't I? And here I was, suffering to make complicated things up..." 

"How sweet of you," Johnny tilted his head.

"I mean, people are always talking about how it's more expensive not to eat meat. It never made sense to me..."

"Well, if they keep coming in places like this." Johnny lowered his voice towards the end and looked around. They were a bit far from the other couples, and they all seemed to occupied with their own dates to hear. Moz smiled at his clumsiness. 

"It's a pretty place, with pretty flowers that stop me from seeing your pretty face," Moz said. "But I wouldn't spurn it that much."

He could see Johnny's eyes glinting at the other end of the table, and Johnny moved the vase away.

"Much better," he said. Johnny placed his head on his hands and the two of them looked at each other for a while.

"Have you seen the new bakery, though?" Johnny asked.

"The one near the library?" 

"No, I think it's close from a park. Er... I forgot the name. They have like, vegan donuts and stuff with vegan milk you know? And it's kinda cheap too."

"I've never tried vegan milk"

"Yeah, me neither."

"We should go there someday."

"You know what..." Johnny trailed off.

"I agree," Moz said. "But shouldn't we order something first? It seems a bit weird to just leave like this... And all these elegant persons here."

"Are you afraid they're gonna stare?" Johnny teased.

"Maybe... Are you?"

"I don't know. And I don't care too."

Moz smiled and made to get up.

"Wait," Johnny said, holding his hand and looking for their waitress. She was away on another table, with her back turned. Moz looked from her to Johnny with a sarcastic smile. "Alright, let's go."

The lads got up and walked at fast steps to the door. 

The sun was just setting, and the sky was clear. According to Johnny they weren't too far from said bakery. They walked on comfortable silence for a while.

"I think we have to turn now," Johnny said at the corner of a street. 

"You think?" Moz leaned on the post. 

"Hm..." Johnny looked around. Moz looked at Johnny. He wasn't sure where they were, but it didn't seem to make a difference. Johnny was leading the way, and he trusted him. And he knew that wherever Johnny decided to go, he'd follow him. 

"Oh, there it is," Johnny said, poiting at a place they just crossed. Moz smiled. Well, he’d follow him. Even if the boy was just as lost. And he knew they’d find their way, eventually.

They went in and the sweet smell of baked bread filled their noses. It was a small shop, but quite cozy with a few tables near the windows. 

"Good evening," the lady said as they got closer to the display of sweets. Moz and Johnny greeted her back.

"I think... My partner here will want that piece of cake with the strawberry on top," Johnny said, pointing at the glass. 

"Wise choice," she said. "That's the veggie version, is that okay?"

"Sure," Moz said. "And my mate right here will want that brownie right there, with the pretty frosting." 

Johnny smiled to him, and she handed them the cakes on small plates.

"Anything to drink?"

"Uh... What about some mint tea, honey?" Johnny asked.

"Good idea. And for you, my dear... I'd say a small coffee. Strong and very sweet too," Moz said. 

The lady smiled to them and told them to find their tables and wait for the drinks.

They sat on a table far from the door.

"Okay, are you ready?" Johnny said.

"Wait," Moz cut a small piece of his cake. "Alright."

"On three?"

Moz nodded. Johnny counted to three and they bit at the same time. Moz thought his cake was really good, and he couldn't really tell the difference. The strawberry taste seemed more prominent than usual, and it was just the right amount of sweet. Johnny forgot to ask if his brownie was vegan as well.

"You think it is?"

"I'm not sure, it's really good. Here, try it," Johnny offered him a piece. Moz tried to analyze it, and Johnny enjoyed the opportunity to watch his expression. He just loved when he looked so thoughtful.

"I think it is-- Hey!" Moz said, as Johnny stole a bit of his cake.

"It's really sweet," Johnny said. Moz giggled. "What?"

"Nothing."

Johnny looked at his reflex on the window. He could see a bit of frosting on his face, his image mixed with the flashy background. Cars were passing now and then, and leaves moved peacefully on the trees. The sky was dark blue and the light poles were on, the sun had just set. Everything was calm.

"Johnny?" Moz asked. His voice was soft and his blue eyes brighter than the sky. "There's some cake on your face, you know?"

"Oh really?"

Moz played with his fork, then touched Johnny's cheeks with it, spreading a bit of chocolate there.

"Yes."

"Hey," Johnny said, and did the same to him. A waitress approached them with their hot drinks, a kind smile on her face.

"Thank you," Moz said, blowing his tea.

"Thanks," Johnny held his coffee. She moved away. They looked at each other across the table and laughed again, because they could. And because there was still frosting on both their faces. Johnny got a napkin and cleaned Moz cheek a bit.

"What a mess have I done of you face, babe," he said.

"What a mess have you done of my lyrics too," Moz added, and leaned closer to make it easier for Johnny. Of course that wasn't the only reason, and Johnny's eyes shone at that. He leaned closer too, and caressed Moz face with the back of his hand. They were so close Moz could feel his breathing and smell the mix of chocolate and strawberry on his lips. He noticed he was glancing at them and, maybe more importantly, that Johnny was doing the same to his. The room felt lighter and warmer than ever, and he couldn't find a reason to fear. He leaned even closer until their lips met. The kiss wasn't very long, but it felt like the world, and even when they parted Johnny kept his hand on Moz cheek and that endearing smile on his lips. Then he leaned closer again, giving him one last peck before sitting back.

Moz missed his hand on his face. He knew he was blushing, and he knew Johnny was too kind to point out. He held his cup near his lips and blew out. The steam covered his glasses, and Johnny's face disappeared. Everything was just a blur of colours. He felt the cup warming his hands, and the fresh smell of mint. He heard Johnny laughing under his breath and smiled. Everything was fine.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, thank you for reading! If you got some constructive criticism or something else to comment that would be appreciated. 8)


End file.
